The Kansas City Royals had a blend of trades this past season that benefitted them in both the short and long term.
Acquiring outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and utilityman Adam Frazier undoubtedly made the team better down the stretch, and both would be welcomed back to Kansas City with open arms from the fans.
But trading away catcher Freddy Fermin for two starting-caliber pitchers was the kind of move that will pay dividends in the coming seasons. The Royals dealt the fan-favorite backstop to the San Diego Padres for a surprising package, and that aggression from the NL team is already starting to bite them heading into 2026.
The Royals might play a big part in potential San Diego Padres downfall in 2026.
The Royals used both right-handed pitchers they received in the deal – Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek – in 2025, but Padres general manager A.J. Preller would probably prefer to have them on his roster in 2026. The executive named starting pitching as the team’s “top need going into the offseason,” and nothing has changed their situation.
Starters Michael King and Dylan Cease both hit free agency, with the latter crossing country lines for a nine-figure deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Veteran starter Yu Darvish is already out for 2026 due to elbow surgery. Cy Young contender Nick Pivetta is back, but the rotation behind him has plenty of question marks.
Add in the fact that San Diego is seemingly looking to shed payroll while their division rival in the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league in it, suddenly having two starters on team-friendly deals would be nice.
Bergert and Kolek may not even start the season in Kansas City since the team has clearly better immediate options for 2026, but the two stand to be in the rotation picture for years to come.
Meanwhile, the Padres are out in the cold looking for starting answers. The Padres do have some recent success stories when it comes to pitching, and Royals pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha reaped some benefit from the team’s ability to develop arms.
That talent will be put to the test with creative solutions, wondering if one of Mason Miller or Adrian Morejon could stretch out into a starter. There is not a pitching prospect waiting in the wings to debut and be a reliable contributor, and their projected rotation could be one of the worst in baseball.
Preller has a nose for finding talent, but the talent he continually ships out leaves the team with one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball.
The massive contracts that led to their franchise-record $248 million Opening Day payroll still linger, and the possible sale of the team will restrict Preller’s financial freedom more so now than in previous years.
The team isn’t primed to buy their way out of their starting-pitching problem, and the Royals jumping on an aggressive deal might end up having a bigger impact than fans first thought.